Shloka 11

भीमसेन–कर्णयुद्धवर्णनम्

Description of the Bhīmasena–Karṇa Engagement

Devanagari script

तथैव दध्मतु: शड्खौ वासुदेवधनंजयौ । प्रवरी सर्वदेवानां सर्वशड्खवरी भुवि,इसी प्रकार सम्पूर्ण देवताओंमें श्रेष्ठ श्रीकृष्ण और अर्जुन भूतलके समस्त शंखोंमें उत्तम अपने दिव्य शंख बजाने लगे

Transliteration

tathaiva dadhmatuḥ śaṅkhau vāsudeva-dhanañjayau | pravarī sarvadevāṇāṃ sarvaśaṅkhavarī bhuvi ||

Translation

तथैव दध्मतुः शङ्खौ वासुदेवधनञ्जयौ। प्रवरौ सर्वदेवानां सर्वशङ्खवरौ भुवि॥

Word by Word

तथाthus, in the same way

एवindeed, just

दध्मतुःthey two blew

शङ्खौtwo conches

वासुदेवVāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)

धनंजयौDhanañjaya (Arjuna) [the two: Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna]

प्रवरीthe two foremost/excellent (fem. dual; agreeing with an implied feminine pair such as ‘those two [persons]’)

सर्वदेवानाम्of all the gods

सर्वशङ्खवरीthe two best among all conch(-blowers)/conches (lit. ‘best with respect to all conches’)

भुविon the earth, on the ground

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)

Dhanañjaya (Arjuna)

śaṅkha (conch)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in war, action is framed by dharma: the conch-sound functions as an auspicious proclamation of steadfast duty and moral resolve, presenting the protagonists’ cause as supported by higher order rather than mere aggression.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna, matching earlier martial signals, blow their conches. The act serves as a formal battle-call and a psychological declaration of confidence and leadership on the battlefield.